"I'm recovering, and I expect to be back at work this week," he added.

Bronstein was recovering from a bizarre incident during which a Komodo dragon chomped on his foot Saturday when the editor was on a private tour of the Los Angeles Zoo with his wife, actress Sharon Stone.

The zoo occasionally gives private tours to celebrities or major donors who want to avoid attracting public attention. Los Angeles Zoo spokeswoman Lora LaMarca could not say exactly how often the private tours take place.

"People are just fascinated with what goes on behind the scenes," she said. "So if we get calls from prospective donors or celebrities, we'll try to accommodate them." LaMarca said the zoo has no immediate plans to curtail private tours.

"The one that Phil went in with is tame and has not shown any aggression toward humans," she said of the dragon, one of two at the zoo. "We would not have done (the tour) if we thought there was any danger to Phil."

The visit to the zoo was a surprise early Father's Day gift for Bronstein, who had always wanted to see a Komodo dragon up close, Stone said.

Bronstein and a zookeeper were inside the animal's cage when the 7-foot- long Indonesian lizard lunged at him, locking on to his foot. Bronstein managed to unclamp the animal's jaws from his foot and fled the cage.

The attack raised questions among some animal experts about public access to rare and endangered species at zoos.

Yesterday, two exotic animal experts questioned the zoo's policy of allowing some members of the public to get so close to the dragon.

"I would be very curious as to how and why (Bronstein) got so near a Komodo dragon," said Mara Rodriguez, an operations manager at the Exotic Animal Training and Management program at Moorpark College in Ventura County. "The general public believes wild animals are safe and friendly. These animals are wild, endangered killers. The fact that they're inside a cage doesn't change that."

Frank Slavens, curator of reptiles at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, said it is highly uncommon to let people come in contact with a lizard like the Komodo dragon, and he does not allow zoo visitors to enter a Komodo dragon's enclosure.

"Even with a Komodo dragon that you've raised since birth and has never been aggressive toward anyone, it's difficult to judge if they're going to attack someone," said Slavens, whose zoo houses three of the reptiles. "It's in their nature (to attack), so you should take whatever precautions are necessary to make sure that doesn't happen."

Prior to the incident, Bronstein was wearing white tennis shoes. But because the dragon is fed white rats, the zookeeper suggested he remove the shoes so the animal did not mistake them for its next meal.

Bronstein underwent surgery to reattach severed tendons and rebuild the casing of his big toe, which was crushed by the dragon's jaws. He was resting comfortably last night and was being treated with antibiotics and pain medication. The 4-year-old dragon was unscathed in the incident.

In the wild, Komodo dragons prey on small animals including small deer, birds, snakes, fish, pigs, water buffalo, wild horses and younger Komodos. The lizards are aggressive by nature, although this particular creature was known for a milder temperament, LaMarca said.

"It's really a great animal, very active and curious. He usually comes right up to the window when children are visiting the exhibit," LaMarca said.

The largest known lizards on earth, the reptiles can grow to 12 feet in length, can weigh as much as 300 pounds and run up to 30 miles per hour. The creatures have been known to occasionally attack human beings.

The zoo's dragons were confiscated from reptile smugglers three years ago, said LaMarca. The animals reportedly are worth up to $30,000 on the black market.

Protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, the lizard is native only to Komodo Island, near Bali, and a few other islands in Indonesia.

"Not everybody gets to stand next to a Komodo dragon," Rodriguez said. "And I wouldn't recommend it. These animals have gnarly, gnarly teeth and incredible jaw pressure. They're not to be messed with."